Perforating-machine.



C. L. LILLEBERG.

PERFORATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1909. RENEWED JULY '1, 1911.

1,080,703. Patentd Dec. 9, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

C. L. LILLEBERG.

PERFORATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.31, 1909. RENEWED JULY 7, 1911. 1,080,703.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" iizzwaar.

C. L. LILLEBERG.

PERFORATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1909. RENEWED JULY 7,1911.

1 ,080,703. Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES L. LILLEBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM HERBERTJOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PERFORATING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec, 9, 1913.

Application filed March 31, 1909, Serial No. 486,916. Renewed July 7,1911. Serial No. 637,324.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. LILLE- BERG, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inPerforating-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to perforating machines, and is of particularservice when adapted to the purpose of cutting music sheets that are tobe used in connection with mechanism for playing pianos and organs. I donot wish to be limited, however, to the employment of the machine of myinvention for the perforation of paper that is to be used in connectionwith musical instruments.

In its preferred embodiment, the machine of my invention employscharacteristics exhibited in Patent No. 854,822, dated May 28, 1907,issued to Alvin L. Hart, and relating to perforating machines, though itis to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the typeof machines shown in said patent. The machine set forth in said patentincludes a roller shaving annular grooves and a series of cuttersadapted to be entered within the grooves, a series of pneumatics, onefor operating each cutter, and means whereby a master perforated sheetmay govern the operation of said pneumatics so as to govern theoperation of said cutters. The cutters cooperate with the grooved rollerto form tongues in the sheet to be perforated substantially co-extensivewith the length of the aperture to be pro duced in the sheet, revolvingknives being brought into play to cut off these tongues to their basesin completing the perforating operation.

In the device of my invention, I employ two sets of cutters, the cuttersof one set partially forming the perforations and the cutters of theother set finishing the perfo rations, whereby a strip of papercorresponding in length and area to each perforation, Will be severedfrom the paper intact, rather than in comminuted condition, whereby theknives or cutting instruments in the machine of my invention need not beso frequently sharpened.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, each of the cutters of oneset is adapted for very quick operation so as to cut through the papercrosswise of its travel to form or define one end of the perforation,while each of the cutters of the companion set in its initial movement,is adapted to cut or define the other end of the correspondingperforation and is preferably thereafter continued in operation,preferably by being caused to remain in the position to which it hasbeen actuated, to cut out the strip or piece of paper between the twoends of such perforation. While I prefer to cause the cutters of one setthus to'act with extreme speed, in order simply to cut through thepaper, and the cutters of the other set to continue in their actuatedpositions until the desired strips or pieces of paper have been removed,I do not wish to be limited in all embodiments of my invention to theamount of work that the cutters of both sets do relatively.

In carrying out my invention, I desirably employ pneumatic mechanism, inwhich case I provide two sets of pneumatics, the pneumatics of one setcontrolling the cutters of one set of cutters and the pneumatics of theother set controlling the cutters of the other set of cutters, therebeing one pneumatic per cutter. There are two tracker boards over whichpreferably but one master sheet is caused to pass, said master sheetbeing perforated and so related to said tracker boards that said trackerboards cooperate with said master sheet to govern the operation of thepneumatics, one tracker board being cooperatively related with thecutters of one set and the other tracker board being cooperativelyrelated with the cutters of the other set.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, showing a preferred embodiment thereof, in which Figure 1 is aplan view of apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention,portions thereof, however, being omitted in order to permit of theillustration of the plan view upon one sheet. Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation of a part of the machine illustrated in Fig.1. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation of another part of the machine illustrated inFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating a part of the mechanisminterposed between a pneumatic and a cutting tool. Fig. 5 is a view inperspective showing the manner in which the cutters may be mounted, partof the structure being shown in section and a part broken away. Figs. 6,7 and 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of theapparatus of my invention.

' Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe different figures.

The paper that is to be perforated is taken from a supply roll 1 andafter its perfora tion is wound upon a roll 2, the paper finding its wayover suitable tension and guiding rolls 3 in its travel from the roll 1to the roll 2. The paper that is to be and which has been perforated isindicated by the dot ted line 4 (Fig. 2). A revolving roller 5 isprovided with annular grooves, into which stationary knives 6 areprojected, these knives lying on one side of the path of travel of thepaper 4, which rides over the roller 5, these knives 6 presentingcutting edges 7 to said paper, which cutting edges are lo cated at thecircumference of the roller 5.

One set of cutters includes knives 8 that are provided with cuttingedges 9 adapted, when the knives 8 are actuated, to work in cotiperationwith the cutting edges 7, whereby the knives 6 possessing said cuttingedges 7, act as dies to the knives 8 possessing the cutting edges 9, theportions 7 and 9 acting as shears upon the paper 4. The cutting edges 7and 9 cooperate to form the trans verse cuts that start the perforationsor slots in the paper that is to be perforated. The knives 8 are theknives which are desirably maintained in their actuated positions to cutthe desired strip or piece of paper from the sheet 4, the knives 6desirably taking no part in cutting the paper after they havecotiperated with the knives 8 to form the transverse cuts in the paper4. The knives 8 constitute reciprocating knives and, in a broad sense,are governed similarly to the reciprocating knives disclosed in PatentNo. 854,822, in that each knife is controlled by a pneumatic 10 havingpneumatic connection with a tracker board 11, a single tube 12 beingindicated between one pneumatic and the tracker board 11, it beingunderstood that each pneumatic has a tube 12 in connection with thetracker board 11, and that there are as many pneumatics as there areknives and as many apertures in the tracker board 11 as there are tubes12. The tracker board and pneumatic equipment are so well understood asto require no specific description, it beingsuflicient to illustrate thepreferred form of mechanical connection between the pneumatics and theknives 8 as in Fig. 2.

I consider the use of the stationary knives 6 in combination wit-h theinovableknives 8 and the grooved roller 5, to be a novel and importantdeparture in apparatus of the class to which my invention relates, forby means thereof the ends of the perforations caused by the knives 8 arewell defined and free of burs. The knives 8 constitute one set ofcutters which are desirably brought into play to complete the formationof the perforations which are commenced by the knives 13 of another set,the knives l3 preferably serving merely to make transverse cuts in thepaper 4, thereby determining where the perforations shall terminate, theknives 8 working toward these cuts, in effect, and ceasing theiroperation when they reach these cuts, by being withdrawn from thegrooves in the roller 5, atwhich time strips of paper have been removedfrom the sheet 4, of sizes equal to the perforations that have beenproduced, these strips of paper being drawn up the flue 14 by pneumaticsuction, the fingers of the fender 14' extending into the grooves of theroll 5, and serving to guide the removed strips of paper toward the flue14. It is, of course, understood that the lengths of these strips orpieces of paper, and therefore the lengths of the perforations, aredetermined by the periods of time during which the knives 8 aremaintained with their cutting noses within the grooves of the roller 5,and that the knives 8 are thus maintained within the grooves of theroller 5 during the time that the slots 15 in the master sheet 16 are inregister with the corresponding openings in the tracker board 11, sothat perforations are cut in the paper 4 that correspond in length withthe perforations in the master sheet 16, whatever the lengths of theperforations in the master sheet may be and no matter how frequentlysuch perforations may occur.

The knives or cutters 13 are governed by the tracker board 17 and themaster sheet 16, the tracker board 17 being in pneumatic connection withthe pneumatics 18 that serve to operate the knives 13, pneumatic tubes19 (but one being shown) intervening between the pneumatics 18 and thetracker board 17, whereby the pneumatics 18 are operatedjust as are thepneumatics 10. Inasmuch as I prefer to permit the knives 13 to operateupon the paper 4 only momentarily, I desirably cause the pneumatics 18to operate upon the knives 13 indirectly. The pneumatics 18 which remainin actuated positions as long as the slots 15 pass over thecorresponding openings in the tracker board 17, are caused to setmechanism that causes the operation of the knives 13, this mechanismbeing released when the pneumatics 18 are restored to their idleconditions, to effect the operation of the knives 13. The mechanismwhich is set by the pneumatics 18 desirably includes each a spring 20placed under tension by the asso ciate pneumatic 18 when said pneumaticis actuated, said pneumatic 18, when actuated, setting or shifting thebar 21 to a lower position in which a trip dog 22 carried by the bar 21,may lie below the associate knife or cutter 13 (the cutters 13 beingpivoted between their ends, as are the cutters 8), the trip dog beingrocked upon its pivot in its downward movement, as a consequence of itsengagement with the associate cutter 13, the spring 23 restoring the dog22 to its normal position with respect to the bar 21 against its stop,when the dog 22 is below the associate knife 13, so that when thepneumatic 18 is released, which occurs when an imperforate portion ofthe master sheet serves to seal the tracker board opening connected withthe pneumatic by the tube 19. The spring 20, no longer under tension bythe pneumatic, contracts to elevate the sliding bar 21 and engage thedog 22 with the associate knife 13, the dog 22 escaping said knife 13after it-has sufficiently rocked said knife to cause its cutting edge 24to pass through the paper 4, the paper 4 passing over a die-plate 25cooperating with the edges 24 of the knives 13 to produce transversecuts in the paper 4. It will be seen that the knives 13 operate verysharply and quickly, inasmuch as they are directly operated by thespring 20, the periods of operation being measured by the time that ittakes for the springs to contract after they are released by theassociate pneumatics 18. I desirably cause the springs 20 merely toforce the cutting edges 24 of the knives 13 toward the paper 4, thecutting edges 24 being desirably removed from the paper 4 by means ofthe retractile springs 26 that are permitted to operate as soon as thedogs 22 have escaped the knives 13 upon upward movement of said dogs.Each knife 13 has a pneumatic 18 and the parts that have been describedas cooperativel relating the said pneumatic with the kni .e 13. Thespring 23 having a stationary anchorage at one end, serves to preventthe element 33, which may be a thin wire, from buckling, therebycooperating with the pneumatic 18 when said pneumatic operates to lowerthe bar 21.

It will be seen that the spring 20 constitutes a power storage device inwhich power is stored when the pneumatic is operated.

From what has been related, it will be understood that while the knives8 operate throughout the time that the slots in the master sheet 16 arepassing through the corresponding openings in the tracker board 11, theknives 13 are only brought into play when such slots have just clearedthe openings in the tracker board 17. In other words, the knives 8operate as soon as the openings in the tracker board 11 associatedtherewith have access to the external air through the slots in themaster sheet, and are continued in operation during the time theopenings or perforations in the master sheet thus uncover the trackerboard openings, while, on the other hand, the knives 13 do not operateduring the time the openings in the master sheet 16 are in register withthe corresponding openings in the tracker board 17, but operate only,and then momentarily, just when the openings or perforations in themaster sheet clear the openings in the tracker board 17. It is, orcourse, understood that the knives 13 may operate at different timeswith respect to each other, as is the case with the knives 8, each knifebeing governed by one tracker board opening, such tracker board openinghaving its control over its associate knife by the perforation orperforations in the master sheet that are traveling in line therewith.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate diagrammatically the manner in which aperforation may be formed in the sheet 4. The transverse cut 27 is firstformed in the traveling sheet 4 by a knife 13 that is governed in itsaction indirectly by the perforation 15 in the master sheet 16 and theassociate opening 28 in the tracker board 17, in the manner described,the associate knife 13, however, not being operated for reasons whichhave been explained until the tail end of the aperture 15 has beencleared, the tracker board opening 28 corresponding to such knife. Justas soon as the perforation 15 is in communication with the opening 29,such opening, being thus brought into connection with the external air,causes the operation of the pneumatic in connection therewith, andthereby the operation of the knife 8 associated with said pneumatic, theknife 8 being maintained in its actuated position as long as theperforation 15 is in register with the tracker board opening 29. In Fig.7 the perforation 15 has just reached the tracker board opening 29, soasto start the other end 30 of the perforation that is to be formed in theproduct sheet 4 corresponding to the perforation 15 in the master sheet,the cut 30 extending transverse of the sheet 4 and being formed by theknife edges 7 and 9, the longitudinal cuts in the paper 4 employed toform elongated perforations, being formed by the cooperation of theknife edge 9 and the walls of the engaging grooves in the roller 5. InFig. 8 the perforation 15 is just about to leave said tracker boardopening 29, the associate knife 8 being withdrawn from the correspondingannular groove in the roller 5 by the spring associated with it when thepneumatic 10 is released as a consequence of the separation of theperforation 15 from the tracker board opening 29.

It will be apparent by an inspection of the drawings, that no matterwhat the lengths of the apertures 15 may be, nor how close or far apartsaid apertures are, whether very short or very long, or both very shortand very long, apertures of proportional length and similar dispositionare formed in the product sheet 4. I provide means for uniformlychanging the lengths of the apertures in the product sheet 4, which maybe desired particularly where apertures are formed in such sheet veryclose together. By means of a feature of my invention, I am enabled, forexample, to increase the length of each perforation by sixty-fourth ofan inch or slightly more or slightly less or as much or as little as maybe desired and am also enabled similarly to decrease the lengths of theapertures. It will be understood that the changes in the lengths of theperforations or apertures in the product sheet are similar among all ofthe perforations. I preferably accomplish the result thus described, bymeans of the vertically adjustable idler roller 31 adapted to have itsbearings moved to varying positions vertically, whereby the extent towhich the idler roller 31 may depress the master sheet 16 may beregulated, the roller 31 being located between the tracker boards 11 and17. By this arrangement, obviously, the effective lengths of' theperforations in the master sheet 16 are regulated. If the paper were tobe perfectly straight between the tracker boards 11 and 17, theperforations in the sheet 16 would have the .greatest effective length,thereby making the perforations in the product sheet 4: uniformlylonger. If the roller 31 were permitted to bow or bend the sheet 16between the tracker boards 11 and 17, then the effective lengths of theperforations in the master sheet 16 would be correspondingly decreased,whereby the perforations in the product sheet 4 would be uniformlyshortened.

Presser rollers 32 may be employed to hold the master sheet 16 onto thetracke boards. I

As an important detail of construction, I have provided a novel form ofconnection between the knives and their pneumatics, illustrated in Figs.2 and 4. The link wires 33 that connect the pneumatics with the knivesare engaged each with a pin 34 carried on a part of the cuttingmechanism, as the bar 21 or the knife 8. A guard 35 is mounted upon theelement which carries the pin 34 and engages the free end of the pin 34,so that the element 33, when in place about the pin, is prevented frombecoming dislodged from the pin. l/Vhen it is desired to separate theelements 33 from the pin 34, the guard 35 may be sprung to one side orswung to one side for the purpose. This feature of my invention is veryimportant, because of the fact that the knives must frequently bereplaced as they are so quickly dulled by the action of the paperthereupon, it being necessary to sharpen such knives quite often.

I use the term cutter in the claims, meaning thereby an instrument thatis adapted to penetrate the product sheet, as distinguished from thatcutter in the Hart patent herein mentioned which comminutes the materialof the product sheet after it has been displaced from the product sheet.

While I have herein shown and described one embodiment of my inventionand have particularly described details and characteristics ofconstruction, I do not wish to be limited to the embodiment of theinvention illustrated, as changes may readily be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A perforating machine including a cutter forpartially forming perforations in a traveling sheet, a power storagedevice for operating the cutter, mechanism for storing power in saiddevice, a cutter actuating device moved by said mechanism and escapingthe cutter when thus moved and moved in a reverse direction by the powerstorage device when the power storage device is free and then serving tooperate and thereafter escape the cutter to permit its return, a secondcutter cooperating with the former in forming the perforations, andmeans for maintaining the second cutter in and bringing it out ofaction.

2. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in atraveling sheet, a power storage device for operatingthe cutter, pneumatic mechanism for storing power in said device, acutter actuating device moved by said pneumatic mechanism and escapingthe cutter when thus moved and moved in a reverse direction by the powerstorage device when the power storage device is free and then serving tooperate and thereafter escape the cutter to permit its return, a secondcutter cooperating with the former in forming the perforations,pneumatic mechanism for maintaining the second cutter in and bringing itout of action, two tracker boards, one for each pneumatic mechanism, andmaster sheet material cooperating with the tracker boards to govern theoperation of the cutters.

3. A perforating machine including a cutter for cutting a travelingsheet, a power storage device for operating the cutter, pneumaticmechanism for storing power in said device, a cutter actuating devicemoved by said pneumatic mechanism and escaping the cutter when thusmoved and moved in a reverse direction by the power storage device whenthe power storage device is free and then serving to operate andthereafter escape the cutter to permit its return, a tracker board forsaid pneumatic mechanism, and master sheet material cooperating with thetracker board to govern the operation of the cutter.

4. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, a power storage device for operatingthe cutter, mechanism for storing power in said device, a cutteractuating device moved by said mechanism and escaping the cutter whenthus moved and moved in a reverse direction by the power storage devicewhen the power storage device is free and then serving to operate andthereafter escape the cutter to permit its return, a second cuttercooperating with the former in forming the perforations, a roller havingan annular groove therein, and means for moving said latter cutter into,maintaining it in and withdrawing it from said groove.

5. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, a power storage device for operatingthe cutter, pneumatic mechanism for storing power in said device, acutter actuating device moved by said pneumatic mechanism and escapingthe cutter when thus moved and moved in a reverse direction by the powerstorage device when the power storage device is free and then serving tooperate and thereafter escape the cutter to permit its return, a secondcutter cooperating with the former in forming the perforations, a rollerhaving an annular groove therein, pneumatic mechanism moving said lattercutter into, maintaining it in and withdrawing it from said groove, twotracker boards, one for each pneumatic mechanism, and master sheetmaterial cooperating with the tracker boards to govern the operation ofthe cutters.

6. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, pneumatic mechanism for operatingsaid cutter, a second cutter cooperating with the former in forming theperforations, pneumatic mechanism for maintaining the second cutter inand bringing it out of action, two tracker boards, one for eachpneumatic mechanism, and master sheet material cooperating with thetracker boards to govern. the operation of the cutters.

7. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet. mechanism for operating said cutter,a second cutter cooperating with the former in forming the perforations,a roller having an annular groove therein, and means for moving saidcutter into, maintaining it in and withdrawing it from said groove.

8. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, pneumatic mechanism for operatingsaid cutter, a second cutter cooperating with the former in forming theperforations, a roller having an annular groove therein, pneumaticmechanism for moving said lat-ter cutter into, maintaining it in andwithdrawing it from said groove, two tracker boards, one for eachpneumatic mechanism, and master sheet material co operating with thetracker boards to govern the operation of the cutters.

9. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, a power storage device for operatingthe cutter, pneumatic mechanism for storing said power in said device, acutter actuating device moved by said pneumatic mechanism and escapingthe cutter when thus moved and moved in a reverse direction by the powerstorage device when the power storage device is free and then serving tooperate and thereafter escape the cutter to permit its return, a secondcutter cooperating with the former in forming the perforations,pneumatic mechanism for maintaining the second cutter in and -bring ingit out of action, two tracker boards, one for each pneumatic mechanism,master sheet material cooperating with the tracker boards to govern theoperation of the cutters, and means for changing the physical relationof said sheet material and tracker boards to alter the lengths of theperforations pro duced in the traveling sheet.

10. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, a power storage device for operatingthe cutter, pneumatic mechanism for storing power in said device, acutter actuating device moved by said pneumatic mechanism and escapingthe cutter when thus moved and moved in a reverse direction by the powerstorage device when the power storage device is free and then serving tooperate and thereafter escape the cutter to permit its return, a secondcutter cooperating with the former in forming the perforations, a rollerhaving an annular groove therein, pneumatic mechanism moving said cutterinto, maintaining it in and withdrawing it from said groove, two trackerboards, one for each pneumatic mechanism, master sheet materialcooperating with the tracker boards to govern the operation of thecutters, and means for changing the physical relation of said sheetmaterial and tracker boards to alter the lengths of the perforationsproduced in the traveling sheet.

11. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, pneumatic mechanism for operatingsaid cutter, a second cutter cooperating with the former in forming theperforations, pneumatic mechanism for maintaining the second cutter inand bringing it out of action, two tracker boards, one for eachpneumatic mechanism, master sheet material cooperating with the trackerboards to govern the operation of the cutters, and means for changingthe physical relation of said sheet material and tracker boards to alterthe lengths of the perforations produced in the traveling sheet.

12. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, pneumatic mechanism for operatingsaid cutter, a second cutter cooperating with the former in forming theperforations, a roller having an annular groove therein, pneumaticmechanism for moving said cutter into, maintaining it in and withdrawingit from said groove, two tracker boards, one for each pneumaticmechanism, master sheet material cooperating with the tracker boards togovern the operation of the cutters, and means for changing the physicalrelation of said sheet material and tracker boards to alter the lengthsof the perforations produced in the traveling sheet.

13. A perforating machine including a cutter for cutting a travelingsheet, a power storage device for operating the cutter, pneumaticmechanism for storing power in said device, a cutter actuating devicefnoved by said pneumatic mechanism and escaping the cutter when thusmoved and moved in a reverse direction by the power storage device whenthe power storage device is free and then serving to operate andthereafter escape the cutter to permit its return, a tracker board forsaid pneumatic mechanism, master sheet material cooperating with thetracker board to govern the operation of the cutter, and means forcausing substantially uniform variations in the lengths of the recessesproduced in the traveling sheet.

14. A perforating machine including a roller having an annular groovetherein, an aperture-producing cutter adapted to enter the groove, meansfor moving said cutter into and out of said groove, thereby to perforatea traveling sheet passed between the cutter and roller, and a cutterwithin the groove cooperating with the aforesaid cutter to initiate thecutting of apertures in the sheet passing between the former and lattercutters.

15. A perforating machine including a cutter, mechanism for operatingthe same, a

link connecting said mechanism and cutter, said link engaging a pincarried by the element to be connected with the link, and a movableguard carried by said element and movably overlying the. free end of thepin to hold the link in connection with the pin.

16. A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, means for actuating said cutter, asecond cutter cooperating with the former in forming the perforations,means for actuating the second cutter, and means whereby the relativetimes of action of said cutters are regulated to produce substantiallyuniform chang'es in the perforations produced by the cutters.

17 A perforating machine including a cutter for partially formingperforations in a traveling sheet, pneumatic means including a trackerboard for actuating said cutter, a second cutter cooperating with theformer in forming the perforations, pneumatic means including a secondtracker board for actuating the second cutter, and means whereby therelative times of action of said cutters are regulated to producesubstantially uniform changes in the perforations produced by thecutters.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of MarchA. D., 1909.

CHARLES L; LILLEBERG.

Witnesses:

L. G. STRoH, G. L. CRAGG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

